Beating the odds: Survivor shares inspirational story

Chad Hill, shown in this undated photo, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2005 and was declared cancer-free in January 2010. He shared his story and accepted a proclamation from the Denton City Council last week

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — When Chad Hill
started cancer treatments in 2005, his doctor said he likely would be unable to
father a child.

In February 2005, Hill was diagnosed
with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a blood cancer. He was physically active,
played sports and had no family history of the disease that primarily affects
men in their 60s.

One month after his diagnosis, he was
asked to join a clinical study at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center for a developmental drug named Gleevec.

For the next two years, Hill went to
Houston every three months for tests and treatments and to make sure he was
abiding by the requirements of the study.

Hill said his doctors know of only two
children born after one of the parents had taken Gleevec. But Hill accepted the
treatment and was declared cancer-free in January 2010.

In March 2010, Chad and Amy Hill
celebrated the birth of their son, Caleb.

“He is the best thing — my greatest
accomplishment,” Hill said.

Now 37, Hill said he considers himself
blessed.

“If we were to place all the different
types of leukemia on the table, I got the best one,” he said. “Things could
have been so much different. It changed my life. I don’t stress out about
anything.”

Hill found out he had leukemia during a
routine medical exam. He felt pain in his thigh, he said, but it wasn’t severe
and he assumed it was some sort of injury. He was playing sports and trying to
lose weight.

At the time of his diagnosis, Hill had a
white blood cell count of 275,000, and 4,000 to 11,000 is considered the normal
range. As a result, his spleen became enlarged and was pressing on his stomach,
not allowing it to expand when he ate.

“It was my built-in lap band,” Hill
said. “Needless to say, I lost a lot of weight.”

Hill lost 20 pounds in three months,
changed his habits and still continues to take the “miracle drug” every day
because there is no cure for CML and he has a very small number of cancer cells
in his blood.

Without the medication, he would have
needed a bone marrow transplant. Hill said his doctors told him at the time
that he had a 60 percent to 80 percent chance of finding a match.

Gleevec was first approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration in May 2001 to treat patients with advanced
Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood and bone
marrow disease linked to a genetic abnormality, according to a news release.

In January, the FDA granted Gleevec
regular approval for use in adult patients following surgical removal of
CD117-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Since his diagnosis, Hill and his wife
have become active in the North Texas chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society, which helps patients with blood cancers. Hill and his wife have raised
more than $20,000 through the chapter’s Light The Night Walk and its Team in
Training program.

Sue Warriner, a Team in Training running
coach, said her group trains every Saturday to prepare for marathons that raise
funds for the society. She met Hill about a year ago and has seen him progress.

“Last year, he was injured a lot more.
The day of the race, he was struggling,” Warriner said. “This season he is
going great. If he is tired, he won’t tell us unless he has an injury. He is a
strong individual.”

Even with fatigue, cramps in his hands
and feet, swollen legs and eyes — some side effects of the medication — Hill is
preparing for his second half-marathon next month in Fort Worth. After seeing
many children and seniors affected by the disease at MD Anderson, Hill wanted
to run in the event to help raise funds for leukemia research.

“I could not run a half-mile without
feeling like my heart was coming out of my chest,” Hill said about his marathon
run last year. “I did half a marathon and ran 13.2 miles. I say 13 miles for
the kids and .2 for me.”

Representing the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society on Sept. 11, Hill shared his story and accepted a proclamation from the
Denton City Council, which declared the month of September to be Blood Cancer
Awareness Month.

More than 1 million Americans are living
with a form of blood cancer. In 2011, more than 13,000 people were diagnosed
with blood cancer in Texas.

“The money that was raised through
leukemia developed the drug that helped save my life,” Hill told the council.
“I am especially grateful for that.”

IF YOU GO

CLL SYMPTOMS

People who have chronic lymphocytic
leukemia may at first have no symptoms. Often, patients learn they have CLL
after a routine physical exam or blood test. Signs and symptoms tend to develop
gradually. Early in the course, the disease often has little effect on a
person’s well-being.

When symptoms do appear, they’re common
to less serious illnesses. However, people with the following symptoms should
see their doctor:

• fatigue or lack of energy

• shortness of breath during normal physical
activity

• enlarged lymph nodes

• discomfort or a “dragging” feeling on the
upper left side of the stomach (caused by an enlarged spleen)

• frequent infections

• unexplained weight loss

SOURCE:
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Comments

DentonRC.com is now using Facebook Comments. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then add your comment below. Your comment is subject to Facebook's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service on data use. If you don't want your comment to appear on Facebook, uncheck the 'Post to Facebook' box. To find out more, read the FAQ .